Russell Brand mocks EDL over Newcastle book group gaffe`

Russell Brand has mocked EDL members who gatecrashed a Newcastle book group’s get together because they thought the ‘Revolution’ author was turning up.

Writing on Twitter, the stand up referred to the incident at Bar Loco on Leazes Park Road when he confirmed his attendance at another book signing in London.

He said: “‘@RBfanforum: Just to confirm, @rustyrockets will be signing books after the book reading’ Great. Now EDL know.”

It came after an incident in Newcastle when around 15 English Defence League supporters disrupted an event at Bar Loco with Islamophobic chants.

The men, who chanted ‘North East EDL’ and ‘No surrender to the Taliban’, arrived after being wrongly tipped off that Brand himself would be there.

But when the group – who were filming the whole event – realised Brand wasn’t coming, they began a series of foul mouthed chants.

In a reply to Brand’s tweet about the Southbank Centre event on Tuesday, North East EDL suggested there may have been trouble if the event hadn’t been in London.

The tweet said: “It’s ok, it’s not in the North East :-)”

EDL regional organiser Alan Spence said the group gatecrashed last week’s Newcastle meeting, which was due to be a peaceful, political discussion about the meaning of the word ‘revolution’, in retaliation for the disruption of one of their own events by left-wing activists.

He said: “The last time we had a North East meet and greet some of the left wing went down to the pub and abused the barmaid, prior to us getting there.

“So we thought it was time we returned the favour.

“Any left-wing organisation in the North East should expect a visit from the EDL if this happens again.

“If that’s the way they want it they can have it that way.”

Mr Spence said they saw the news Russell Brand would be there as an added bonus.

He said: “We went because there were going to be known activists that were going to be there and we got told Russell Brand was going to be there too. He’s a joke.